The present invention is related in general to motor vehicles and more particularly to a portable motor vehicle storage apparatus that is an integral part of an interior panel of motor vehicles.
Motor vehicles include cargo areas and trunk compartments for transporting and storing cargo. Cargo areas and trunk compartments are generally defined by a load surface extending between the motor vehicle side panels and rear seat and rear end of motor vehicles. Cargo transported and stored on the load surface is typically free to move about the load surface due to motion of the motor vehicle induced by accelerating, braking, and turning.
It is important to prevent cargo from shifting about the load surface to prevent the cargo from spilling or being damaged, and further to prevent the cargo from migrating deep within the cargo area or trunk compartment, where an individual may have to bend and stretch to recover it.
Of recent popularity are cargo nets which are formed from flexible elastic cords that may be fastened about cargo to secure the cargo in place. Such nets fail to provide a rigid structure for securing fragile cargo. Moreover, installation of such nets may require an individual to bend and stretch awkwardly into the cargo area or trunk compartment.
Various organizing arrangements have been proposed for use in motor vehicle cargo area and trunk compartments. Such arrangements include partitions and racks that divide the cargo area or trunk compartment into a plurality of discrete storage areas. Some arrangements include partitions that are collapsible and removable to allow the arrangements to be folded and stored in a compact form. These arrangements are generally expensive to manufacture and are cumbersome to assemble. Moreover, such arrangements themselves may fail to remain in a fixed position.
None of the foregoing inventions provide a storage compartment that is adapted to be removably inserted into a support that is an integral part of the motor vehicle interior. A portable storage compartment is needed which may be used to transport items to and from a motor vehicle and which may be supported in the motor vehicle in a substantially fixed position, even throughout the operation of the motor vehicle.